The Flakes Podcast

After weeks of dry spells and empty powder maps, winter is finally making a comeback out West.

This week on The Flakes Podcast, BA, Mike, and Evan break down the first meaningful snowfall in over a month across California and the Northern Rockies — including 2+ feet at Mammoth’s upper elevations and fresh snow across Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. It’s the appetizer… but the main course may be coming next week.

The crew dives into what could shape up to be the best 7–10 day stretch of the winter so far, with low snow levels, colder air, and multiple storm waves lining up across the Sierra, Utah, Colorado, and the broader West. Tahoe storm chasers are already circling, powder prescriptions are getting filled, and travel logistics might become part of the forecast.

How much snow are we really talking about? Where will the biggest totals land? And could this stretch deliver several powder days in a row?

Plus: why the Northeast suddenly goes quiet, how Mammoth keeps winning in southerly flow, and what to watch as the storm track evolves toward late February.
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This week on The Flakes Podcast, the crew stares down one of the most shockingly quiet snowfall periods they can remember — zero U.S. ski areas with double-digit snow in the next five days, and only a handful nationwide over the past week.

BA, Mike, and Evan break down just how rare this lull is, why both the West and East are stuck in a mid-winter transition, and how the Great Lakes and southern Appalachians somehow ended up as this week’s snowfall winners. From Tennessee and North Carolina surprise storms to Florida’s falling iguanas, it’s been a strange stretch of winter weather.

The good news? There are early signs of a pattern shift ahead. The crew digs into the long-range outlook, colder air moving into the West, and why Valentine’s Day weekend could mark the start of a much-needed comeback — even if trust in the models is at an all-time low.

Plus, Evan shares details on OpenSnow’s new model tables, how to read confidence in upcoming storms, and why patience (and coping mechanisms) are essential during a dry spell.

Powered by OpenSnow, The Flakes Podcast is your weekly lighthearted discussion of mountain weather — even when the powder map is painfully empty.
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BA is back with Mike and Evan — and the West is still stuck in “maybe” mode.
They run through the week’s snowfall scoreboard, where the biggest totals keep piling up from the Great Lakes through New England (yes, even Ohio is getting powder days), while most of the West stays frustratingly quiet. Jay Peak takes the verified top ten crown with 300"+ on the season, and the crew watches a potential Mid-Atlantic nor’easter/bomb cyclone setup for the days ahead.

Plus: Mike sits down with Shannon Colleton, a physical therapist for the women's U.S. Ski Team, calling in from Austria as Olympic selections near — talking life on the road, training vs. injury prevention, and her best tips for staying healthy on the hill.

Thanks to Alta Ski Area and Smartwool for supporting The Flakes Podcast.
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The West stays stuck in “gray squares” mode (read: basically nothing falling), while winter keeps piling up east of the Rockies — and it’s about to get wild.

Mike and Evan recap a quiet stretch across the Sierra/Cascades and most of the West, with only a few bright spots (hello, sneaky Colorado upslope and a Southwest storm aimed at AZ/NM/CO). Then OpenSnow meteorologist Zach Butler returns with a full breakdown of a head-spinning Mid-Atlantic storm: major snow potential from Virginia into West Virginia/Maryland, plus a serious icing threat farther south — with the exact storm track making (or breaking) the forecast by the mile.

To close it out, Evan sits down with Adam Fair, Digital Marketing Manager at Alta Ski Area, for a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to market one of America’s iconic powder mountains… during a season that’s been light on the powder. They talk terrain openings, visitor behavior in lean years, storm-chasing logistics, and Alta’s 88th season campaign — including the dream of bringing back a Powder 8s competition when the snow finally cooperates.

Pray for snow in the West, and good luck (and good planning) to everyone in the East dealing with whatever precipitation type the “snow sandwich” decides to serve.
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BA is out this week at Operation Sierra Storm, so Mike and Evan take the mic — and stare down a stubborn January ridge that just won’t budge.

They break down why the West has gone quiet on the powder map (hello, gray squares) and why parts of the Sierra’s snowpack story are strangely uneven heading into a dry stretch. Meanwhile, the Great Lakes and Northern New England continue to see snow with lake effect and a favorable storm track.

Plus, OpenSnow meteorologist Zach Butler joins for a quick snow-science chat on SWE vs. snow depth and the Community Snow Observations (CSO) project — and how community-submitted measurements help improve snowpack modeling across Tahoe, Oregon, and Colorado.

Thanks to Alta Ski Area and Smartwool for supporting The Flakes Podcast. Whether you’re waiting out the ridge or chasing storms elsewhere, we appreciate you being part of the Flakes community.

If you’re hunting fresh turns this week: go east… or Japan — because out West, the moose is still standing in the trail.
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